An Eagle's Justice
by Stagey
Summary: The Clans have lived by the Lake for generations, enjoying golden age after golden age. Unfortunately, there will always be cats who wish for more, and when that greed gets out of control, only one can give out justice to those who rightfully deserve it.


**A/N: Hey guys! This is a reboot of, **_**An Eagle's Revenge**_**. I'm not done with**_** An Eagle's Rest**_**, but I hope to be soon. Please review and to newcomers, you don't have to read **_**An Eagle's Revenge**_** to understand everything. This is all from scratch! Have fun!**

_**Prologue**_

**A Deadly Gathering**

"Greetings, Ravenfrost." The voice came from a tabby brown tom standing near the fallen tree trunk. His amber eyes flashed as a pure black tom lashed his tail in acknowledgment,

"Are they there now?"

"Yes, Ravenfrost. Thornpierce awaits."

"I will not keep him then."

The tabby brown tom lowered his head as Ravenfrost leaped onto the tree trunk and crossed to the Gathering Island.

Its shores were filled to the brim with cats, as if the meeting tonight was the climax for something ahead. Perhaps it was, but that was the least of Ravenfrost's worries as he reached the the bank. He stretched and began to move through the wave of cats, earning him harsh glares and outraged hisses. This was trivial, as their attention was regained almost instantly by the four cats speaking quite measurably to them, and Ravenfrost could not suppress the thought,

_Mindless mice._

He stopped near a golden-brown tom with dull, brown eyes, who offered no sign of recognition to Ravenfrost, although he did mew lowly, as for no others to hear,

"I see you made it."

Ravenfrost kept his gaze on the high branch which held the four leaders of the Clans, "Indeed. Forgive me for my delay... There were other matters which need to be attended to."

"None of which you wish to share?"

Ravenfrost remained silent, as if listening to the words of the Clan leaders, but the golden-brown tom knew better,

"Very well. Do you know what must be done?"

"Yes, Thornpierce. Meet me back here after the confusion has been dealt with." Ravenfrost rose upright and continued. "Please take care of any witnesses." He padded briskly away before Thornpierce could respond.

The black tom with chilling green eyes retreated slyly into the shrubberies near the side of the Gathering Island, claws unsheathed. The tree holding the four leaders as they spoke was in the center of the island, and numerous cats surrounded it, listening eagerly. Ravenfrost allowed himself to hear what one of the four cats was saying as he circled around, hidden by the bushes,

"...And as always, ShadowClan has new kits with this coming new-leaf. StarClan is truly blessing us each day." The gray tabby stepped back and nodded to an old she-cat with yellow eyes, who stepped forward on the branch and began to speak, her voice commanding authority and respect,

"RiverClan has persevered through a harsh leaf-bare. We have an abundance of prey and we keep strong, defending our borders against all who wish to challenge us." She cast a sideways glance to a black tom with a white tipped tail, sitting near the edge of the branch. The tom glowered, but did not retort.

Ravenfrost shook his head, bemused as he now stood behind the large tree, still hidden by the shrubs. All he needed now was a distraction.

From the corner of his eye, Ravenfrost saw Thornpierce step forward and yowl in feigned pain,

"StarClan help me! I'm- I'm dying!" Every cat turned their attention to the golden-brown tom, who was now squirming around in the middle of concerned beings, all asking him what was wrong. Each leader leaped down from the tree, except for the ThunderClan one.

_Exactly like I knew he would._

Ravenfrost leaped into the tree, scrabbling up swiftly before settling himself down right behind the ThunderClan leader.

The latter tensed as he felt a new weight join his own on the branch,

"Ravenfrost."

"Brackenstar."

There was an eerie silence between the two cats as they both observed the scene below them. Thornpierce was still twitching spasmodically as more cats crowded around him. Finally, Brackenstar spoke, his mew defeated,

"You should have come to me. We would have found another way..."

Ravenfrost nodded slightly, "Yes... but then you would have known." He placed a gentle paw forward, until he was a mere whisker behind Brackenstar, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"As am I."

The body of Brackenstar fell from the branch and into the crowd of murmuring cats, who had dismissed Thornpierce's apparent agony as he stood up, claiming that it had only been a bone that had come up from his stomach.

Accusations had been thrown around for moons to come. RiverClan used Brackenstar's death as an excuse to attack WindClan, which had defended itself with the ferocity of two monsters.

No cat had seen the dark silhouette of a cat on the branch when Brackenstar fell.

…

"Do we have it then?" Asked Thornpierce as he settled down next to Ravenfrost, mouse in jaw. They were in the middle of the Stony Hollow, ThunderClan's camp, and it was a bright day, particularly unfitting in lieu of the event that had occurred a night before at the Gathering.

Brackenstar's death had sent the entire of ThunderClan into mourning, and no one but a young warrior on sentry duty, and Ravenfrost and Thornpierce was out of their dens.

"Yes. The debt has been repaid." Ravenfrost bit into his mouse, chewing slowly as he continued, "But I have the overbearing feeling that there is more."

Thornpierce let out a bitter laugh, "Yes, my friend, there is more. If my estimations are right, the two-leg place will hold the answer to everything." He scanned around the camp before adding, "It will be difficult to spread our influence there with our current numbers." He took a bite of his own mouse.

Ravenfrost watched carefully before mewing, "So I assume you seek my talents in recruiting." He rose to his paws, "I cannot sway minds, Thornpierce. I refuse to bring more into the lost cause which is our own."

Thornpierce gaped after the pure black tom, brown eyes full of desperation, "Ravenfrost! Why do you keep resisting? Can you not see that this is the way... this is the only way for the Clans to survive! We must do this!" He lowered his tone, casting a wary look to the warrior standing guard. "Your mate, your kits... think of them, Ravenfrost."

The pure black to let out a sigh, stopping in his tracks,

"And who shall we recruit?"

Thornpierce took another bite of his mouse, "We need four cats. Four exactly. That is what my dream told me."

"I didn't know you were a medicine-cat now, Thornpierce."

"I'm not, but this dream... it was... ethereal. I know their names, I know how they look, from the number of gray hairs on their muzzles to their pelts. Names, clan, I know some who I've never met. Ever."

Ravenfrost narrowed his eyes, "Names?"

Thornpierce nodded and continued on, biting tentatively from his mouse,

"Yes, names: Whitestep from WindClan, a loner, Blizzardhear-"

"A loner?"

"Yes. A loner. Blizzardheart from RiverClan, and our own Jayleaf."

"A mighty list. And how do you expect us to get in touch with these four? Surely they won't all be at the next Gathering, especially the loner." Ravenfrost sat down and began to groom his fur, eyes still narrowed.

"You're right, but we will deal with it through... other means." Was Thornpierce's reply as he finished his mouse. "But we do need them all by two moons, which means you must be prepared to cross borders, tail wandering patrols... kill."

Ravenfrost stopped licking his flank and sighed softly, looking up at the blue sky, "Do remind me of why I didn't slit your throat on our way back from hunting."

Thornpierce's eyes flashed,

"Because you had the dream too."

…

Whitestep scowled as he wandered aimlessly through the sparse forest on the edges of the WindClan territory. The mouse-brained rabbit had lost him in the tall birch trees, so now the white tom with gray eyes trudged back ruefully through the woods, no prey in his mouth.

He turned swiftly as something heavy dropped down from the trees behind him.

"ThunderClan scum! Get off of..." He trailed off as the pure black warrior lowered his tail, lazily running his eyes over Whitestep.

"Greetings." Was his monotonous mew as he sat down on his haunches, "You should already know me, as I am the-"

"Deputy of ThunderClan. Yes, I know you... Ravenfrost?"

Ravenfrost nodded, something flickering in his cold, green eyes, "I am still getting used to my new name." He blinked before continuing, "I believe you know why I am here."

"Why would you think that?" Asked Whitestep tersely, tail raised high.

Ravenfrost let out a dry chuckle, "If you didn't know, you would have been half-way back to camp by now, yowling at the top of your lungs of a ThunderClan cat past the border."

Whitestep grimaced and muttered simply, "You are the cat from my dream. I thought nothing of it..."

"Yet here I am now." Ravenfrost's eyes glittered in mild amusement.

"Yes, and I know what you want... but I don't believe in it. What you're fighting for."

"All in good time."

Whitestep took a deep breath before meowing, "I suppose I can't escape it."

"No, you cannot."

"Very well." Mewed Whitestep, shuffling his paws nervously, "I will help, but only if you settle something for me first." He flicked his ears back and forth before carrying on. "WindClan has been through a rough time... We lost seven cats cats this leaf-bare and we were still struggling. We needed prey. Nearly every warrior was too weak to hunt or dead..." Whitestep's voice was now laced with desperation, as if trying to justify his actions, "So I convinced Breezestar to go to a band of rogues and make a deal with them: They'd give us food, and we'd allow them to hunt and live in our territory."

Ravenfrost's gaze remained apathetic, although his posture had perked up, as if braced for any rogue to burst from the surrounding forest.

Whitestep continued on, "It worked out well, but now new-leaf has come and Breezestar wants them out, and since it was my idea, I told him I would settle with them."

Ravenfrost yawned, "Let me guess: They don't want to leave."

Whitestep nodded bleakly, "Which is why I needed help. I stumbled into a loner named Tarrow who volunteered to get the rogues to depart, but I fear he's either been killed or joined up with them. He hasn't reported back since."

Ravenfrost nodded and stood, "Very well. Return here at moon high tomorrow. I will tell you when I've convinced the rogues to leave." He stalked off, but Whitestep called after him,

"How are you so sure that you'll convince them?"

Ravenfrost paused and replied indifferently,

"I'm almost positive that I won't be convincing them."

…

Thornpierce and Ravenfrost both spotted the dusky-reddish tom sitting near a cedar tree at the WindClan and ShadowClan border. The tom's pelt gleamed in the sun's harsh glare, yet he seemed unaffected as he stared into the distance.

Ravenfrost called out hesitantly to the tom while approaching him, Thornpierce in close suit, "Tarrow?"

The dusky-reddish tom turned his head to the two cats nearing him, a scowl on his face,

"Might be, who's askin'?"

Ravenfrost looked over the tom. He was young and slightly larger, had a long and slightly unkempt coat, and his amber eyes seemed to bore holes into Ravenfrost's own, but the latter did not turn,

"Ravenfrost, Deputy of ThunderClan."

Tarrow snorted, casting looks over both Ravenfrost and Thornpierce, "Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Show some respect, kit!" Snarled Thornpierce, unsheathing his claws and stepping closer to Tarrow, who seemed unperturbed by the threat.

Ravenfrost exhaled and rested his tail on his companion's flank,

"Peace, Thornpierce." Ravenfrost dipped his head politely to Tarrow, renewing his introduction, "Whitestep sent us to help expedite your search for the rogues."

Tarrow rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Don't need no expeditin'. Don't need none of your fancy Clan talk neither. I've found the rogues."

"Then why are you simply lazing around?" Asked Thornpierce, pelt still bristling as he loomed over Tarrow, who in turn snorted again and pushed pat the golden-brown tom,

"I'm figuring out a way to deal with those pieces of fox-dung over there." He lashed his tail toward a large, makeshift den in the distance, about twenty fox tails away. Three cats stood in front of it, eating.

Ravenfrost padded forward a bit, to get a better view. It was a peculiar den, made almost entirely of fallen tree branches and leaves. A few stones had been pushed in where branches and leaves could not.

_Impressive, for rogues._

"I have a plan." Mewed Ravenfrost suddenly, glancing back to the others.

"Well let's 'ear it." Insisted Tarrow, stepping besides Ravenfrost, gaze curious.

Ravenfrost stretched out, while explaining, "I'll come from the trees ahead; you two approach and try to stall them as long as possible. When I jump down, I will land on the cat in the middle. When I do this, you both must take out the others."

Tarrow narrowed his eyes, "They're six of them in all. The other three must be inside of the den."

Ravenfrost stopped stretching and unsheathe his claws,

"Good. Half of them will fall before they even know what's happened."

With that, he scrambled onto the cedar tree's bark, pulling himself up with his claws until he reached a branch. He cast a look down to Thornpierce and Tarrow, who were both approaching the three rogues, calling out something to them.

Ravenfrost steadied himself on the branch and estimated that he was two trees away from the den and he leaped for the branch across from him. He landed on it perfectly, tail held out to hold his balance. He padded quickly around the trunk of the new tree and onto another branch. He risked a glance down.

_Right on top of them. Good._

Thornpierce and Tarrow were now speaking to the rogues, who had unsheathed their claws and seemed to be threatening the pair. Ravenfrost took a breath, measuring his jump before leaping down onto the middle rogue. It was a sickening sound, as Ravenfrost's claws dug, nearly breaking off, into the cat's skull. Blood momentarily blinded his eyes as Ravenfrost landed on the rogue, whose body cushioned him from the painful ground.

When Ravenfrost blinked the blood from his eyes, Tarrow and Thornpierce were standing over the other two rogues, bloods dripping from their jaws and staining their chest fur.

Angry yowls regained Ravenfrost's attention as three more rogues emerged from the den; claws unsheathe and pelts bristling as they saw their dead comrades bleeding out on the floor.

Ravenfrost sheathe his claws and inclined his head to the closest rogue,

"We do not wish for any further death. Leave WindClan's territory and be spared."

The rogue spat at Ravenfrost, eyes furious, "I'd say the same for you, Clan cat!" He and the other two began to circle around, all hissing threats.

Ravenfrost let out an agitated sigh and whispered audibly enough for the rogues to hear,

"I won't ask again."

The leading rogue bared his teeth,

"Agreed."

…

Whitestep let out a shiver. For new-leaf, it was an awfully cold night. The moon was high in the sky, radiating its light over the thin woods in which Whitestep waited in.

"This is stupid..." He muttered, bitterly clawing at the ground beneath him, "One cat against six rogues? He didn't make it."

"You should have more faith." Called Ravenfrost, emerging from the darkness surrounding the forest, "The rogues have been taken care of." Two other cats appeared from between the trees to join him.

"Nice to see you again, Whitestep." Mewed Tarrow, a strange-looking mouse in his jaws, "Here's a little something for your trouble of getting these kind cats to help me out." He spat the mouse out at Whitestep's paws, but the latter hissed in shock as the moonlight revealed that the mouse had been already half-eaten, with only a few bits of skin attached to the bones.

Thornpierce let out a sigh, eyes beseeching Ravenfrost's, "Can we please carry on?" The golden-brown cat's words were brash and delivered hastily. The cold was clearly getting to him as well.

Ravenfrost nodded in agreement and advanced onto Whitestep, tone terse,

"I have carried out my end of the deal. Will you pledge yourself to our cause?"

Whitestep gulped before nodding, gray eyes lifeless and uninspired, "Yes... I shall aide you in whatever you are planning." His words are forced out as he drops his gaze to his paws, not meeting Ravenfrost's eyes.

Ravenfrost held his stare on Whitestep a while longer before turning to Tarrow, "You as well. Will you-"

Tarrow cut him off, sitting down and grooming his pelt, "Hey, as long as I got a meal every day, I'm with you."

Thornpierce glowered, obvious distaste crossing his face. He turned and lashed his tail, swearing softly under his breath.

"Oh be calm, Thornpierce." Meowed Ravenfrost, resting his tail on the tom's shoulder, "We're all on the same side now."

…

"Blizzardheart. I've met her."

Ravenfrost's mew echoed around the lakeside as he and Thornpierce trailed behind the ThunderClan Gathering patrol as all the Clans began to disperse. A moon had passed since Brackenstar's death, and the new ThunderClan leader, Clearstar had firmly made everyone sure that his clan was as strong as ever. His boasting had made Ravenfrost wary as he had listened, a concern that seemed to be shared by almost every other cat at the Gathering. The air had become far tenser after Clearstar spoke.

"Have you now?" Responded Thornpierce, padding beside Ravenfrost, "How is she? Do you think that she will share our vision?"

"I'm not sure."

"We shall find out tonight."

"Indeed."

The pair broke off from the main group of ThunderClan cats and silently made their way back to the Gathering Island, where the last of RiverClan seemed to be departing. They dove into the Lake, flailing their legs in a struggle to keep their noses and ears above water.

"It's moments like these that make me wish that I were a fish!" Sputtered Thornpierce, somehow managing to keep form drowning.

Ravenfrost offered him an amused chuckle, but secretly kept to himself his fear of the cold water.

When the last RiverClan cat leaped off of the fallen log between the mainland and the Gathering Island, both cats dragged themselves out of the lake and onto the banks of the Gathering Island, where Blizzardheart stood alone, tail swishing back and forth. Her long white fur was neatly groomed and bright blue eyes sharp,

"Hello." She inclined her head to both toms as water dripped off of them in troughs. She did not flinch as Thornpierce brazenly shook himself dry, even though a few specks of water hit her pelt.

"I apologize for my friend." Mewed Ravenfrost, bowing his waterlogged head, "He is often... unaware." He ignored Thornpierce's outraged glare, instead asking, "So I assume you've had the dream as well?"

Blizzardheart nodded, her startling blue eyes still on the two toms, "I have. Are you two here to ask me to join your order?"

"Will you?"

A long silence.

"Yes."

…

"That was awfully quick..." Muttered Thornpierce, still shaking the last of the water from his fur, "I half expected her to ask us for a favor or some nonsense." The two toms trudged back to camp, leaving a trail of damp ground behind them.

"I was caught unawares by her answer as well." Mused Ravenfrost half to himself as mosquitoes began to crowd around him, "A dream was enough to satisfy her..." He flicked an ear free of the pesky bugs, "Well, it's done. Jayleaf is the only one left."

Thornpierce nodded, a bit of relief flashing on his face, "Good. He should be the easiest to convince. I mean, he is ThunderClan after all."

Ravenfrost arched a brow, "As are we." He hissed suddenly as a mosquito bit down on his tail. After lashing it around wildly, he continued, "If he agrees, then we will nearly be ready to commence our plan."

Thornpierce's voice was slightly befuddled,

"Is that submission, Ravenfrost?"

"To a cause I deplore believing in? Yes, it is."

They had reached the entrance of the Stony Hollow, a maelstrom of mosquitoes following them, but the insects were the last things on their minds as they witnessed the conflict inside of the ThunderClan camp.

Crowstar, surrounded by the entirety of ThunderClan, was pacing before Jayleaf, hissing harsh words to the young warrior,

"Did you think that you would go unnoticed?" He whipped his tail fiercely, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?"

Jayleaf looked down at the ground, voice breaking, "Crowstar... I did not seek to betray ThunderClan. I- I had to do something urgent, I promise you."

"Urgent?" Snarled Crowstar, once again thrashing his tail angrily, "What was so urgent that it needed to be shared with the WindClan leader? Give me an explanation and you may be spared an early visit to StarClan!"

Jayleaf shook his head in a numb response, "I have no such thing, Clearstar. The nature of my work, it's... it's..."

"The kind best not put into words." Ravenfrost's mew rang across the hollow as he and Thornpierce made their way down the slope. Cats gasped at them, but nevertheless allowed the pair to clear a path until they reached Crowstar.

The ThunderClan leader narrowed his eyes into slits, scowling,

"Ravenfrost... I should have known. Rats often travel in packs."

Ravenfrost nodded to Crowstar; mew thick with satire, "A pleasure to see you too, Clearstar." He padded around the silver furred tom, "I do not wish to waste your time. I believe I know the reason why Jayleaf sought out Breezestar at the Gathering."

Crowstar glowered and responded tartly,

"I was near attesting you when you insisted I grant you use of Thornpierce, but you said nothing of this traitor!" He gestured to Jayleaf, who remained silent, faded blue eyes resting on Ravenfrost.

Thornpierce glanced around at the encompassing crowd of ThunderClan, all listening eagerly to the discussion, eyes glued to the scene. His voice was slightly pitched as he whispered to Ravenfrost,

"Perhaps we should speak elsewhere?"

Crowstar snorted, overhearing the warning, "We will speak here. You two are part of _my_ clan, and _my_ clan will not be exempt from any secrets." He was now nose to nose with Ravenfrost, ice blue eyes challenging, "I made you my deputy for a reason, Ravenfrost."

The pure black tom did not blink as he replied callously,

"Listen to reason, Crowstar. I will not be with Jayleaf for but a moment. I will expla-"

"Enough!" Crowstar's yowl was that of an angry hawk, "Go to your den. I will deal with the traitor properly." His glare intensified on Ravenfrost, "You better hope to StarClan that you find sleep quickly."

A sandy tabby warrior stepped forward, motioning to the warrior's den. Ravenfrost did not immediately move, still holding Crowstar's gaze. The sandy tabby gestured again, this time slightly tapping her tail on the pure black cat's flank.

As Thornpierce and Ravenfrost settled down in the warrior's den, they watched silently as Jayleaf was led out of the camp by four warriors, Crowstar leading them into the forest surrounding the Stony Hollow.

As the ThunderClan cats in the camp began to disperse, murmuring nervously, Thornpierce finally spoke up,

"Well that certainly didn't work out the way we wished."

Ravenfrost watched as Jayleaf's tail disappeared into the forest, "And to think that I once called that cat my brother."

Thornpierce began to lick his belly fur, laying it back, "So what shall we do now?"

Ravenfrost snapped his gaze to the golden-brown tom,

"We're done here," His ears perked up as Jayleaf's squeal echoed from inside the forest, making every ThunderClan cat in the enclosure pause, expressions of shock on each of their faces.

Ravenfrost got to his paws, walking brashly from the warrior's den, Thornpierce in suit,

"And by the looks of it, so are they."

…

The night wind was with them as Ravenfrost and Thornpierce followed the blood trail left behind by Crowstar's patrol. The breeze blew their scent downhill through the undergrowth, and the two sentries who had been foolish enough to follow were now laying unconscious at the bottom of the Stony Hollow.

"Ssh!" Hissed Thornpierce, suddenly crouching down, his tail gently guiding Ravenfrost down as well. He beckoned to several cats standing in the high grass. Ravenfrost recognized Crowstar, the four warriors he had brought with him, as well as Jayleaf, who now sported a shredded ear.

Ravenfrost narrowed his eyes and whispered to Thornpierce,

"Are you willing to do more of your acting?"

The golden-brown tom almost smirked.

…

"You shall pay with a traitors death, Jayleaf. You know how threatening WindClan has become, yet you chose to cohort with their leader?" Crowstar lashed out again, this time at Jayleaf's flank, and the bluish tom buckled, blood spraying the grass around them.

Jayleaf tried to get upright, but his legs would not respond, a numbing abiding in the limbs.

Crowstar brought his face closer and hissed,

"You will not live to see your kits born." He gestured to two of the warriors, "Get him up. I want his death to look like an accident." He turned to the other two, "Stay here and stand guard. No doubt Ravenfrost and that follower of his are nearby."

The pair of warriors dragged Jayleaf by the scruff and followed Crowstar as he led the group towards the thunder-path.

Directly west of the, the undergrowth exploded, and a flash of bright brown halted in front of the party,

"Fire on you and your false leadership!" Thornpierce swung the clump of mouse-bile around in his unsheathe claws before letting it fly directly at Crowstar.

The black tom's pelt was marred with the disgusting smelling substance as it rolled down his chest and plopped onto the ground.

No one moved for a heartbeat.

"Get him!" Snarled Crowstar, claws unsheathed, leaping for Thornpierce. The latter warrior leaped nimbly out of the way, but was tackled immediately by the two other warriors, who had dropped Jayleaf in an undignified heap. They dragged Thornpierce around the undergrowth before pinning him down. Crowstar, quite angry from his failed attack, marched towards the restrained warrior, eyes blinded by fury,

"I see you wish to share Jayleaf's fate. Very well, take them-"

"Let him go, Crowstar."

All heads whipped around to see a dark silhouette emerging from the thick grass, the two warriors tasked with standing guard knocked out cold. Ravenfrost inclined his head and repeated,

"Let him go, Crowstar... and Jayleaf as well."

Crowstar stepped forward, spitting to his remaining warriors,

"Send them _all_ to StarClan."

Ravenfrost did not hesitate as he lunged forward to the closest warrior, battering the tom's head repeatedly until he felt the hard thud vibrating on the ground as the cat fell, unconscious.

He pivoted swiftly to see Crowstar leaping at him. Ravenfrost swiftly dodged, letting the ThunderClan leader fly over him. The pure black tom turned again to see the other warrior at him, and the former ducked, hearing Crowstar shriek angrily as the warrior collided into him.

Ravenfrost glanced up to see the warrior slumping to the ground, eyes closed, but faintly breathing.

Crowstar on the other paw lay sprawled, a nasty gash at his side. The black tom struggled to crawl away, but Thornpierce blocked his path, mouth bared in a snarl.

Ravenfrost approached the fallen cat, rolling him over with a paw.

"Ravenfrost..." Rasped Crowstar, eyes narrowed, "You're as much a traitor."

Ravenfrost shrugged, and got nose to nose with the ThunderClan leader,

"Perhaps so, but I do not kill my own clanmates." He sheathe his claws and added, "I stay my bite today because ThunderClan cannot afford to lose another leader so soon. " The pure black tom stared deeply into the amber eyes of his brother, "But be aware: threaten or insult me again, and I will kill you."

Thornpierce stepped near Jayleaf, helping the bluish gray tom to his paws,

"Easy there, friend." Thornpierce's eyes were filled with sympathy as he allowed Jayleaf to lean on his side, but it seemed that Jayleaf had other plans, struggling slightly before limping side by side Ravenfrost, the latter already making his way back to camp,

"I suppose there's a reason for you causing all this madness."

"All in good time." Responded Ravenfrost, padding over the unconscious body of a warrior.

…

"I hope you don't expect me to go along with this plot of yours, Ravenfrost." The callous voice came from Icetail, one of the most beautiful she-cats in ThunderClan, as she appeared from the queen's den, her belly plump, "I won't do it."

Ravenfrost's gaze softened, and his mew was a desperate plea,

"Icetail, love... listen, please." He rested a tail on her flank as she turned around to go back inside, "I wish only for the best, and there are no other options."

The white she-cat with soft, brown eyes turned on her mate,

"No other options! Do you know how many lives your entire idea will destroy?" She lowered her voice, as to not alarm surrounding cats, "Ravenfrost, you must make a decision: This vile scheme... or me."

Ravenfrost did not answer.

"Very well," Mewed Icetail softly, her eyes full to the brim with pain, "I hope it's worth it."

As she turned and went back into the den, Ravenfrost found himself staring up at Silverpelt, mind torn and questioning.

_Was it worth it?_

He shook his head, stalking off.

_Of course it was._

**A/N: **

**There! Whew, it took me so long to write this, and I know, much reading for a dang prologue, haha. Anyway, please review, all criticism is allowed. I really need to know that people like what I'm writing and that I have something worth writing for, so just enter your comment/compliment in that little box below and let me know who you feel! I see too many horrible stories get reviews. It's agitating. Anyway, thank you once more, and I'm taking suggestions for new cats!**


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